The Eco-Friendliest of Bridal Magazines

A magazine devoted entirely to eco-weddings...
I'm in dream green wedding journalism heaven!

Eco-Beautiful Weddings

A completely Earth-friendly publication (paper-free and all), this seasonal magazine offers green ideas for each and every wedding detail.

At first, I was skeptical of how readable an online magazine would be... but it's incredibly easy and navigable.  

Plus, the beauty of an online magazine, especially for a scatter-brained creative type like me, is that upon finding an interesting idea, I can instantly go to the website and decide right away if it's worth further exploration... rather than just folding the page and telling myself I'll return to it later which usually turns into weeks or months later... 

Being eco really is both earth saving and time saving!  :-)

Place cards that bloom...

I'll be totally honest with you.  I really don't like junk.  

Actually, I hate it.... vehemently.

My Valentine's present this year from my fiance was a helping hand in eliminating all the junk I carry around among my assortment of bags and purses.

From expired coupons to a billion pens to dead batteries to torn receipts... I had no idea I was lugging it all with me from day to day.  (Not to worry, I recycled absolutely everything I could possibly recycle and donated the rest).

And I started thinking... this whole "Dream Green" concept can also simplify your life.  

It helps us say NO to junk!  Because after all, junk just ends up in the dump.

So, I have decided that the favors we give to guests should be something useful and lasting... not something that will just end up in the landfill the next day... and something that (hopefully) won't be carried around in their purses for the next two years.

Today I did some wedding favors research, and discovered Beau-Coup's Fine Favors-- a company that has green options with combo functionality.

To combine place cards with favors, here's this unique idea:

Beau-Coup's Plantable Seed Place Cards.

Simply dig up some dirt, place the place card inside, water, and watch your garden grow! 

Another one of Beau-Coup's lovely green options is a place card attached to a mini rose topiary... combining the place cards, favors, and centerpiece decor all in one (did I mention how much I'm a fan of efficiency?) 

Beau-Coup's Mini Rose Topiaries.

My favorite is the green and white one.

The lucky bamboo is cute too.  But if they die, be wary of disaster... my college roommates can testify to this.

Sure, I like these place setting ideas because they are eco-friendly.  But most importantly, they are memorable and bring more life and breath into your home.  I can just envision our little wedding garden in our future backyard...  :-)

A green, junk-free wedding.  

I will make my fiance proud.

We've Got It!

For those who are hesitant to ask me if we've set a date-
be reluctant no more!

Date:         May 14, 2011
Location:   Chicago's beautiful Lincoln Park

The ironic part is that this was one of the first places I had looked up when we got back from Europe in September.... and it only took 5 months to remember it again.

Needless to say, we are extremely relieved and excited. 
And I'd like to take this opportunity to rave about my fiance's diligence and extraordinary communication skills. 

Hon, I promise I'll take care of every detail from here on out.



Aren't you happy there's a blog for proof of my promises?   :-)

Something borrowed... "Like New"

The day-after story for the beautiful wedding dress that spent you months to find and a few pretty pennies in the process:

Folded, packed, boxed up, stored away forever. It was a good time while it lasted.

"Maybe my daughter will wear you someday," you think as you glide your fingers once more over the cascades of silky satin. Yes, yes- you are storing the dress because she will one day want exactly this dress for her day. Thirty years from now, it won't be out-of-style in the least.

With the chance she doesn't share your sentiment, for some odd reason, here's another option for you.

For brides-to-be on a budget and brides of weddings past, I've got the website that may help you meet your match.

The "craigslist heaven" for all bartering brides:
The Recycled Bride.com

This site is a trading playground for wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses (not that they would ever sell the dress you picked out for them!), mother of the bride dresses, registry gifts... even wedding rings.

The site is easy to navigate, allowing you to search for a particular designer, size, or location of the item so you could even arrange to see it in person.

Reusing is the eco-friendliest choice and, in this case, much more cost effective- saving you 50% on most all items... maybe even more if you're lucky.

And hey, it gets the "something borrowed" item checked off.

Just make it blue, and you're all set.